An End to What I Have Known
by Megarra Chrysanthemum
Summary: Harry has made a discovery. Ron doesn't like it. When Harry gets injured to within an inch of his life, what views does Ron take? Does he forgive his friend? mild slash


An End to What I Have Known  
  
Plotline by: Star Traveler  
  
Original Story by: J.K. Rowling  
  
  
  
Author Notes: I've been working on this for quite sometime. Its not happy near the end. But I enjoyed writing it. If any of the names are misspelled, sorry. Word kept changing them on me. I fixed all the ones that I found. Enjoy the fic.  
  
  
  
Harry walked the lonely hallway to Potions. He was already late enough that it didn't matter if he ran or not. He couldn't believe that no one had woken him up. Well, he had been woken up by Dobby. He arrived at the Potions classroom and braced himself for Snape's wraith. The door was open and Snape's voice floated through.  
  
"Seeing as Mr. Potter couldn't bother to arrive, Mr. Weasley will be working by himself." Harry bit back a smile at Ron's expression. Ron, in Harry's mind, was perfect. He was just plain cute. Nobody could match the innocence that shone every waking moment on his face. Well, some could, but most didn't.  
  
Harry sighed an inaudible sigh. He was falling for his best friend. He couldn't believe it. And to put the cherry on the cake, he was gay. This would be okay for someone like Ron. Ron wasn't Harry Potter, the Boy-Who- Just-Had-To-Live. People would not be able to accept the fact that he was gay. He knew they wouldn't. The people always look for faults, never for what is good about a person. It always galls him that people can be so close-minded.  
  
Snape's voice drifting through the partially cracked door forced Harry to land back at the present. With quick thinking, Harry decided a dramatic entrance would be the best course of action. Biting back a smile, he waited for a good spot to enter. His chance soon came by.  
  
"We will be doing a fir potion. Mr. Potter is totally incapable of making such a potion, which is why we are doing it today," Snape's voice flittered out to Harry. Harry picked up his bag, a light brown, and strode into Snape's class.  
  
"So sorry, Professor. I hope I wasn't ruining anything?" Snape's mouth fell open. He knew that Harry had been listening. There was no way he could of come strutting into the classroom at that moment.  
  
"Potter! Go sit next to Mr. Weasley," Snape barked. Harry complied quickly, biting back a smile of triumph. "And fifty points from Gryffindor!"  
  
The Slytherin side of the classroom snickered at Harry. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him as if to say, "Serves you right". Ron gazed at Harry in a brotherly type fashion.  
  
Harry set his stuff next to Ron's. His hands moved with a slender grace but showed a strong lithe body. He stood next to Ron in such a way, that it was almost seductive. On the outside, he returned Ron's brotherly gaze, but on the inside he was yearning for more.  
  
"Why were you late?" Ron whispered. He leaned in close to Harry so as not to have Snape overhear. Harry came close to shuddering at the close proximity. His thoughts drifted to the night he had the realization the he loved his best friend.  
  
"Hey, are you listening?" Ron asked, startling Harry out of his stupor.  
  
"Oh, sorry. I just woke up late. I stayed up late thinking about… things."  
  
"Girls?"  
  
"Not exactly."  
  
"Not exactly?"  
  
"Uh… no."  
  
"Have you been thinking about boys? Heavy."  
  
"Mr. Potter! Mr. Weasley! Refrain from speaking in my class!" Snape barked out, not taking his eyes from Neville's potion. Harry rolled his eyes and continued working. Harry and Ron had just finished their potion when the bell rang. Harry scurried out of the room ahead of Ron.  
  
"Harry! Wait up!" Ron screamed, rushing down the hall after Harry. He managed to catch him just outside of the Charms classroom. "What was that all about in Potions?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," Harry whispered. He twisted out of Ron's grasp and went into the classroom. Ron threw his hands up in frustration, but followed Harry inside.  
  
The same routine happened after this class, as in Potions. Except that Harry headed to the Gryffindor Tower and locked himself in the bathroom. He didn't even stop to think that someone might have followed him up, until that someone banged on the door.  
  
"Harry! Let me in! I just wondered. It doesn't matter if you are gay!" Ron screamed at the door. He banged his fist till he realized he could use a spell to get in. Getting his wand out, he pointed it at the door and whispered 'Aloha Mora'. The door opened when he pushed it. He walked in, looking about for Harry. He spotted him at the other end with his head buried in his arms. Ron walked up to him and placed his hand onto his shoulder.  
  
"Harry, I want you to tell me what sex you like and who you have a crush on," Ron tilted Harry's head up. It was obvious from Harry's expression that he hadn't heard Ron's approach. "If its Ginny you're so hung up about, I could careless."  
  
"Are you really that bind? Its not Ginny I care for," Harry paused and took a deep breath. "Though it is a Weasley." Harry looked into Ron's eyes. Ron leaned back in realization of what Harry said. Just as quickly he turned cold and distant. He stood with careful deliberation. Without saying a word, Ron left the room in a manner that reminded Harry of Snape.  
  
After watching Ron leave, Harry broke down into sobs that wrenched his tiny frame. Five minutes after Ron had left, Harry got up and headed to Transfiguration, which was by far his best class. He walked into the class and sat next to his partner- Ron. It was obvious to the rest of the class that they were on the outs for Ron sat at the edge of the table. Harry was also doing that.  
  
Through the whole class, they worked in silence. After Class, Malfoy confronted Harry. Ron had bolted after class had ended whereas Harry waited till everybody had left. Harry was at the lake when Malfoy put in his appearance.  
  
"So, you and Weasley aren't talking," Malfoy smirked. "I can probably tell you why too."  
  
"Why then?"  
  
"You're a queer. Weasley doesn't like it. Probably the first right decision he's made. But that's not the point. The point is Hogwarts doesn't need," Crabbe and Goyle appeared behind Harry, "people like you."  
  
With that said, Goyle grabbed Harry and held him while Crabbe and Malfoy beat him up. When Harry was floating in and out of consciousness, Harry felt Malfoy and Crabbe pulled off him. He barely registered that Goyle tossed him like a rag doll. A rush of cold filled him. Breathing became difficult. As he floated to the bottom of the lake he realized that Ron had pulled Malfoy off.  
  
~  
  
"I'll kill you!" Ron shouted as he threw Crabbe and Malfoy off Harry. Ron had realized that he was pushing Harry away, and that was something Harry didn't need.  
  
Ron had put two and two together when Harry and Malfoy hadn't shown up to class. HE had excused himself and gone in search of Harry. What he had found shocked him. Harry had massive purple bruises forming all over his body and was barely breathing.  
  
Ron looked up at a splash in the lake. All he got was a glimpse of black hair go under. He stopped what he was doing to pull of his shoes and robes. Once he had stripped himself down to his boxers, he jumped in after Harry. He had to come up three times before he found Harry. He pulled Harry up with him.  
  
"Ron! Wee were so worried! Malfoy came back babbling about the lake, Harry and Ron," Hermione babbled herself. A tiny gasp emitted as Ron pulled Harry out. "What happened?"  
  
"Malfoy and Crabbe were beating him up. Goyle obviously thought I would head for him because he tossed Harry into the lake."  
  
"Is he breathing?"  
  
Ron checked. HE shook his head in the negative. Scooping up Harry's small form in his arms, he ran at a sprint to the Infirmary.  
  
"Madame Pomfrey!" Ron screeched. As soon as Madame Pomfrey showed at the doorway, Ron shoved Harry into her face. Pomfrey took Harry into a room. She shooed Ron out the door and started to work.  
  
Ron started pacing the hallway. He only stopped once. When he ran into Snape. He looked up.  
  
"Oh, crap."  
  
"On crap is right, Mr. Weasley," Snape glared. "One might inquire why you beat up two of my students this afternoon."  
  
Ron gaped at Snape. As soon as his mouth was working, he responded, "Beat up your students! I was merely stopping them from beating Harry up! Who I might add is barely breathing right now!" Ron stopped for breath. "If you even think about accusing me of lying, I will go to Dumbledore!"  
  
Snape's glare increased. "Since you are lying-"  
  
"That's it!" Ron stomped down the hallway to the stone gargoyle that was Dumbledore's office. Once there, he randomly started naming off sweets. He remembered Harry mentioning something along those lines. After ten tries, Dumbledore himself came out.  
  
"Yes, what can I do for you?"  
  
"Professor Snape is being totally unreasonable. He refuses to believe me when I say Harry got beat up!"  
  
Snape, who had appeared, said," He's lying through his teeth. Mr. Potter beat up my students."  
  
"I find that hard to believe. You had better not take points from Gryffindor for a month," Dumbledore said to Snape. He turned back to Ron, "Is Mr. Potter okay?"  
  
"How am I supposed to know? He was barely breathing when I took him to Pomfrey!" Rons voice rose close to hysteria. Dumbledore turned Ron and walked with him to the Infirmary. When they got to the Infirmary, Pomfrey was sitting outside crying.  
  
"Poppy? How is he?" Dumbledore asked. Ron had already broken down with tears pouring onto his cheeks.  
  
"He won't live through the night," Pomfrey spoke dully. "He can't. He was too injured. Add that on to being underwater for far too long and you have one dying boy." Ron had stopped crying but was staring at the door with pain reflecting in his eyes. Dumbledore walked up to Ron and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
"There is still a chance, no matter how small, that he will live. Go and sit next to him. It might be that you being there will save him," Ron nodded his head dumbly. He walked almost woodenly to where Harry was. Dumbledore followed him and clasped Ron's hand in Harry's. Without a word Dumbledore left Ron to his thoughts.  
  
'I shouldn't' have left him alone. Everyone could tell something was wrong. I should have followed him. I failed him and he's going to die!' Ron's mind wailed. Anybody who had walked in on Ron and Harry would notice an emerald light surrounding the two.  
  
Ron felt excruciating pain. More pain than he thought he could feel. It clouded his vision. A scream was ripped from his throat he felt weaker than he ever had before. As darkness covered him he heard, or thought he did, a simple ;I love you'. Then blackness covered him and he thought no more.  
  
  
  
~  
  
Dumbledore nodded once. Using his wand he lifted the two smiling boys. When Hermione found out about her friends, she smiled. She was upset, but she knew that they wouldn't have outlived each other anyway. She cried many times in the future, but always had someone there to comfort her.  
  
Voldemort, well lets just say he died from the shock of his enemy dying. 


End file.
